Anyone
criticizing or challenging his leadership risks imprisonment, including
public figures, journalists, academics, other intellectuals, human
rights activists, even young children – on charges ranging from
insulting the president to terrorism, espionage or treason.

He purged or imprisoned over 100,000 regime critics – from the judiciary, military, police, media and academia.

His state of
emergency imposed after last summer’s coup attempt “target(s) criticism,
not terrorism,” according to UN High Commissioner for human rights,
Zeid Ra’ad al-Hussein.

Last year, he
cited Hitler as a role model, calling his Nazi regime perhaps an ideal
way to run Turkey, saying he wants things streamlined for more effective
decision-making – code language for wanting iron-fisted rule, all
challengers and critics eliminated.

He’s at war
with Kurds in Turkey, Syria and Iraq, committing atrocities on the phony
pretext of combating terrorism he supports – claiming he has a
“historical (regional) responsibility.”

A row between
Berlin and Ankara erupted after local German authorities cancelled
campaign events Turkish ministers arranged to speak at in support of an
April referendum on expanding Erdogan’s presidential powers.

About 1.4 million Turkish nationals live in Germany, eligible to vote in the referendum.

Chancellor
Angela Merkel said she had nothing to do with it. Ignoring his own
tyrannical rule, Erdogan responded angrily, saying “Germany, you have no
relation whatsoever to democracy and you should know that your current
actions are no different to those of the Nazi period.”

His spokesman
Ibrahim Kalin claimed “(a) huge anti-Turkey, anti-Erdogan attitude is
being systematically produced and serviced to the world, especially
through Germany.”

Merkel said
his accusations “cannot be justified. We will not allow the victims of
the Nazis to be trivialized. These comparisons with the Nazis must
stop.”

“Many Dutch
people with a Turkish background are authorized to vote in the
referendum over the Turkish constitution. The Dutch government does not
have any protest against gatherings in our country to inform them about
it.”

“But these
gatherings may not contribute to tensions in our society and everyone
who wants to hold a gathering is obliged to follow instructions of those
in authority so that public order and safety can be guaranteed.”

Cavusoglu
angrily responded, saying “(i)f the Netherlands cancels my flight
clearance today, then we will impose severe sanctions,” adding he
intends flying to the country later on Saturday.

A Dutch government statement said his “sanctions threat made search for a reasonable solution impossible.”